People’s Climate March: “You will have to answer to your children.”

Without you at the march, Congress will seriously screw up your future, and you will have to answer to your children.

Photo by Frank J. Regan

Let me use a quote from Dr. James Hansen to motivate you to come to the People’s Climate March: “Why march? You will have to answer to your children. You understood the situation at a time when it was not too late. Instead of standing up for them, did you choose to sit at home?” (“The People’s March”, 8/29/2014 Dr. James E. Hansen,)

President Obama, after staring politics in the face, has blinked from a full engagement at the Paris 2015 Climate Treaty. He’s going for an end-run around Congress for a nonbinding treaty:

Obama Pursuing Climate Accord in Lieu of Treaty WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is working to forge a sweeping international climate change agreement to compel nations to cut their planet-warming fossil fuel emissions, but without ratification from Congress. In preparation for this agreement, to be signed at a United Nations summit meeting in 2015 in Paris, the negotiators are meeting with diplomats from other countries to broker a deal to commit some of the world’s largest economies to enact laws to reduce their carbon pollution. But under the Constitution, a president may enter into a legally binding treaty only if it is approved by a two-thirds majority of the Senate. (August 26, 2014) New York Times

However, rather than finally grasping the reality of Climate Change, the media and our leaders view Congress’s intransigency as some sort of irreversible reality. Some godly decree. So the US Congress’s inability to understand Climate Change science means we’ve encountered an unmovable body and we must go around it? Really? Congress has decided Climate Change does not exist, therefore it does not exist?

Not really. Congress can change. The laws of physics cannot change—you put more greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, the place warms up. People can change Congress’s mind. When enough folks come out and demonstrate to their leaders and their media that they must wake up, alarm bells can go off. Even Congress (believe it or not) must eventually bow to the people’s will. Sooner, rather than later, would be nice if we hope to have time enough to plan.

Listen to this critical interview with Bill McKibben on why folks like you and I must not let leaders get away with some kind of go-around deal. “Your body is badly needed on the streets of New York City on September 21, 2014…”

As Obama Settles on Nonbinding Treaty, "Only a Big Movement" Can Take on Global Warming As international climate scientists warn runaway greenhouse gas emissions could cause "severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts," the Obama administration is abandoning attempts to have Congress agree to a legally binding international climate deal. The New York Times reports U.S. negotiators are crafting a proposal that would not require congressional approval and instead would seek pledges from countries to cut emissions on a voluntary basis. This comes as a new U.N. report warns climate change could become "irreversible" if greenhouse gas emissions go unchecked. If global warming is to be adequately contained, it says, at least three-quarters of known fossil fuel reserves must remain in the ground. We speak to 350.org founder Bill McKibben about why his hopes for taking on global warming lie not in President Obama’s approach, but rather in events like the upcoming People’s Climate March in New York City, which could mark the largest rally for climate action ever. "The Obama administration, which likes to poke fun at recalcitrant congressmen, hasn’t been willing to really endure much in the way of political pain itself in order to slow things down," McKibben says. "The rest of the world can see that. The only way we’ll change any of these equations here or elsewhere is by building a big movement — that’s why September 21 in New York is such an important day." (August 28, 2014) Democracy Now!

Without you at the march, Congress will seriously screw up your future, and you will have to answer to your children. If you cannot come by bus, if you cannot come by train, if you cannot come by car-pooling, if you cannot come at all donate, if you cannot donate please make a commitment to get someone else in your stead to do at least one of these things. If you live near Rochester, NY here’s how you can be among those who showed up: http://peoplesclimate.org/westernny/

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Frank is the former chairperson of the Rochester Sierra Club, conservation chair and communications chair. He now is the webmaster of that group, and heads two committees: transportation and zero waste. A graduate of SUNY Brockport with a MS in English, Frank is the creator, manager and content author of RochesterEnvironment.com: Since 1998, RochesterEnvironment.com has been an ongoing experiment to completely inform one community of all its environmental news and information. Frank is also writing a book on Climate Change.